DISTRICT DIAMOND PLAYOFFS KICK OFF

May 22, 2003 12:00 am

N THE POSTSEASON: Union's Jennifer Sasser hopes to lead the Bobcats to a state tournament berth this weekend. Union also plays (The Observer/File photos).

The Imbler and Joseph baseball squads will be playing for a chance to go to state Saturday, while just across the parking lot at Eastern Oregon University, the Union softball girls likewise will be a playing in their district tournament.

The games will take place at the EOU baseball and softball fields.

Imbler and Joseph, which tied for second in the Wapiti League with identical 10-4 records, will battle for the right to move on to the 1A/2A state tournament beginning May 28.

Imbler and Joseph probably could not be more evenly matched. The Panthers and Eagles not only have identical league records, they split a doubleheader earlier this month, with each team shutting out the other (Imbler won 3-0 and Joseph won 2-0).

Imbler may be heading into postseason a slightly hotter team. The Panthers won five of their last six league games. However, that one loss came courtesy of Joseph.

Meanwhile, Grant Union, undefeated in the Wapiti League and ranked No. 1 in the state, will play Nyssa, the No. 4 seed out of the Wapiti League.

Grant Union as league champion will move on in the postseason whether the Prospectors win or not.

If Grant Union beats Nyssa (8-6) as expected, then the winner of Imbler-Joseph automatically moves on to state as the district's No. 2 seed.

However, if Nyssa beats Grant Union, then the winner of the Imbler-Joseph game must play again against Nyssa to determine the district's No. 1 seed.

The Grant Union-Nyssa game is first and is scheduled for noon. The Imbler-Joseph game should begin at roughly 2:30 p.m. at Snowflake Field.

The Union girls, 11-5 in the Eastern Oregon League East Division, second behind Pine-Eagle (12-4), will play Culver Saturday. Union has to win two games to move on to the state tournament.

The Bobcats are a hot team, having won five out of their last six league games to qualify for the tournament.

Pine-Eagle and Pilot Rock play at noon. The Union game should begin at about 2 p.m.

If Union loses, the Bobcats' season is over.

The loser of the Pilot Rock-Pine-Eagle game will play the winner of the Union-Culver game, beginning at roughly 4 p.m., for the district's No. 2 seed.